The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-09
How MALT MADE.
Some Interesting Facts About an Import
ant Buffalo Industry.


ant Buffalo Industry.
Buffalo manufactures every year
nearly seven million bushels of malt,
almost wholly the product of Canadian
barley, which, it appears, makes a bet
ter grade of malt than its congener on
this side of the border. This is about
two million bushels in excess of the
combined manufacture of any two
other American cities, and, indeed, it
is not unlikely that we lead the world
in this industry. Our MASTERS make
within two million bushels of the
amount used annually in London, Eng
land, by brewing-houses, and great
proportion of the malt used there
comes from provincial towns The
greater number of the breweries in
Buffalo make their own malt as they
want it, while the product of the regu-
lar malt-houses is almost wholly
shipped East, where it finds ready
market in New England, Philadelphia,
Newark, New York, Albany and other
cities largely interested in brewing.
The manufacture of malt, briefly
stated, consists in the conversion of
the starch in the barley kernel into
sugar, from which by fermentation the
potent principle in ale and beer is pro-
duced The process in all essential
particulars is as ancient as "the bull
rushes round little Moses, on the old
banks of the Nile" Indeed, it is quite
certain that the most ancient Of all
Egyptians drank an intoxicating liquor
made from barley. That barley was
one of the cereals cultivated by the
Egyptians is stated authoritatively by
Baron Bunsen and Wilkinson, the
famous Psychologists The word
"corn," which appears so frequently
in the Bible, is general term app led
to all cereals and really means grain of
all kinds. While it is not really known
what the means were that the ancients
used for extracting the alcoholic prin-
ciple from the grain, it is recorded that
malt liquors were much INDUCED in by
the Greeks and later by the Romans,
by whom the secret of their manu-
facture was introduced into Gaul and
Britain.
AS to the details of the process, they
are almost identical in all establish
.ments. The barley first undergoes what
is termed sleeping" This is done in
large cisterns holding any where from
one hundred bushels to three hundred
and more, depending upon the extent
of floor in the malt-house. Water is
poured in on the barley until it is COW
cred to a depth of six inches. From
fifty to sixty hours is the time allowed
for stepping. After the grain has i'm
bibed sufficient moisture the water is
run off, and the barley is turned out in
heap on the malt floor, and turned
with wooden shovels every few hours
until sweating sets in and the grain
begins to terminate. 1t is at this point
that the chemical change takes place
and the starch in the barley is convert
ed into sugar. The process is allowed
to continue to a stage readily recog-
nized by the expert malster, when it is
brought to a finish by placing the
malt in the drying-kiln, where il
is kept for longer or shorter
time according as. the liquor is to be
ale or stout. For stout or porter the
malt is scored to brownish color,
while for the amber ales or beer it is
permitted to take but little color. BY
its conversion from barley to malt the
grain increases two or three per cent.
in bulk, while it loses something in
weight. When dried tits ready for the
brewer or market.
The value of this city's annual out.
put of malt for shipment is mot les;
than $5,0O0,0O0, and the value of thai
made and consumed by Buffalo brew
ers may be safely estimated at 81, 800,
900. This immense industry has grown
up almost entirely during the last
twenty years. Before the war there
was little or no mailing done here
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